Popular folk singer and lyricist Vangapandu Prasada Rao passed away after he had a cardiac arrest in the wee hours of Tuesday morning at the age of 77, the family members of the artist informed.
Rao, who had been suffering from general illnesses for a while, had authored over 300 folk songs in typical North Andhra style and was known for singing and dancing to his own songs.
The popular leftist ideologue had created awareness in mainstream media about the tribal and rural villages of Andhra Pradesh and actively participated in Communist lead agitations.
Rao was a recipient of the prestigious Kala Ratna award in 2017 for his work in the tribal arts. He often wrote songs for film and in 1972, he founded the Jana Natya Mandali.
Expressing grief over the demise of the singer-lyricist, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy recalled his personal association with Rao, remembering him as a towering personality in the literary and cultural history of the Telugu people.
"I extend my deepest condolences to Vangapandu's family," he added in the tweet.
( With inputs from ANI )